Iran launches missiles at Israel after Beirut escalation
Iran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday evening in response to Israeli attacks on the suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut.
Iranian state media reported that Iran’s armed forces had fired two salvos of missiles at Israel, with the second wave targeting the centre of the country.
The announcement came after the Israeli military said it had activated air defence systems to intercept the threat. Its Home Front Command sent a precautionary alert directly to mobile phones in the affected areas.
According to the Israeli TV channel N12, warning sirens wailed in the north of the country. Four missiles had reportedly been identified.
The Israeli military said its air defences successfully intercepted the missiles. The N12 channel reported that missile debris had struck northern Israel, including near the city of Tiberias. There were no initial reports of injuries.
The civil defence agency said classes in all schools across Israel were cancelled for Monday.
Iran’s central military command confirmed the missile attacks. In a statement broadcast by state radio, the armed forces justified the attack by citing “repeated violations” of the ceasefire in Lebanon by the Israeli military.
Israel launched attacks on the Beirut suburbs earlier on Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had targeted “terrorist” headquarters after the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia fired at Israel.
Hezbollah is Iran’s most important non-state ally. Tehran had previously warned that further Israeli attacks on the greater Beirut area would be viewed as a new escalation.
